The weather

The stage is set for rich, hearty, delicious comfort food like stews, soups and roasted root vegetables to nourish and provide warm, internal moisture for your body.

February is the month of hearts… be it love or health, do your heart and body a favor and show your heart how much you love it and purchase locally grown, intensely flavored, fruits and vegetables. Sunday mornings is where you'll find the best variety of choices and at the same time support small family farms.

The Sunday Market is kickoff headquarters for Game Day starter kits!

Curtis' Jammin Kettle Korn.. try the cinnamon flavor!

Slow Hand BBQ, Holding Ranch beef, chicken, lamb and From Sea to You – for the freshest fish

Star Dough – Get creative and pair-up fresh market wares by making either a savory or sweet pies

Tasty ethnic food from All Star Tamales, East West Gourmet, Flying Falafel and Quick N EZE Indian foods are a must to spark the taste buds!

New Vendors in 2011

It is still about citrus at the market.. right now.

The cross for the Cara Cara is a navel orange spore discovered in Cara Cara Venezuela. It has nothing to do with grapefruit even though the flesh is red/pink. No need to be worried about heart medication and grapefruit not mixing well. The Cara Cara are right there with blood oranges in tropical flavor nuances and on the fruits list this month with zipper skinned Satsuma ready for lunches. Tangelos are a sweet cross between a tangerine and pommelo and are quickly moving up the popularity list. Lemons, limes, grapefruits etc., can be found at almost every stand at the market.

Asian winter greens are delicious. You'll find Chinese broccoli and pea shoots and early green garlic.. almost asparagus time.

Greens are ready to be sliced and sauteed with winter garlic and olive oil with a dash chili flakes thrown in to ward off the chills. They can also be tossed into a pot of soup or stew at the end to beef up flavor and nutrients to ward off what ails you.

For those of you who have been asking about our special friend "Santiago".. he is well and working on the farm.

In a recent call, he said "I miss my market and my nice people very much. I think of you as my family".

He really appreciated that you cared.. he will be returning soon and his place is saved.

What's at the market for Super Bowl fare? Super Bowl Sunday is February 6th and there are plenty of ideas to kick around. Several winter vegetables make for tempting snacks toppers and dippers. It's all about being quick, easy and delicious for game day celebrations.

Make the classic vegetable crudité platter with as many seasonal vegetables as you can find at the market and serve up with a pre-made dip or a simple sour cream-black pepper dip.  (Combine 1 cups sour cream with 2 or 3 tablespoons of buttermilk, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped chives and ½ teaspoon EACH of chopped thyme and salt). Some of the best choices right now are daikon, radishes, jicama, celery, celery root and fennel along with carrots and spring onions.

Small, red, globe-shaped Cherry Belle radishes are most common, but many other varieties come to market to offer some diversity. You may find oblong, white topped French Breakfast, the 5 to 6 inch tapered White Icicle and an Easter Egg hybrid that intermingles shades of red, white, violet and pink round roots.

The Daikon or Asian types of radishes are larger and more pungent. The most familiar of the bunch is the 12 to 14 inch white, carrot-shaped daikon which will need some peeling and slicing. Others include the Black Spanish Round and White Chinese, so be sure to check out and try some of these more unusual varieties when they're available.

Just before the deluge of asparagus is upon us, there's time to experiment with some of market's more unique vegetables like jicama – an indispensable root vegetable in its native Mexico and Central and South America. The crisp white flesh has a pleasant, nut-like flavor similar to water chestnuts, and may be served raw or cooked. You might consider some traditional Mexican fare and serve peeled, sliced jicama with lime juice, chili powder and salt. Although jicama does not discolor as quickly as a potato when cut and exposed to air, it's best to prepare as close to the serving time as possible.

Garden celery is grown for its stalks, leaves and seeds, while celery root (also called celery knob or celeriac) is a type of stronger flavored celery grown for its enlarged, edible root. Both can be served raw in salads, cooked in soups, casseroles and stews or in combination with other vegetables. You'll find crisp bunches of celery and 3 to 4 inch roundish-shaped celery root at the market. Under the knobby, rough, brown exterior of celery root is an earthy, nutty tasting flesh that's one of my favorites for shredding over a salad.

Often seen is the feathery green leaves of Florence fennel poking out of a market shopper's bag. The fennel bulb offers a licorice type flavor which does well in braised dishes or sliced up to use as a dipper, and the leaves are worth a try in place of the thyme in the sour cream-black pepper recipe mentioned above.

Enjoy and see you at the market!